Perhaps the New York Jets were wrong for openly acknowledging what their philosophy will be in 2025?

Following the free agent signing of Justin Fields, the Jets and new head coach Aaron Glenn had clearly sent a message to the rest of the league: They were going to run the football this season, and opposing defenses could only hope to stop them.

New York has an elite athlete at quarterback and a trio of running backs who should complement each other well. They also invested a top 10 pick on the final projected piece of their offensive line in Armand Membou during April’s draft. The message of being a run-first team was reinforced week in and week out.

Now, as the Jets prepare for their season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Mike Tomlin, the longest tenured head coach in the NFL, isn’t hiding what his team is focusing on.

Tomlin’s review of Jets offense

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday to kick off his week of preparation for New York, the Super Bowl-winning coach dissected the Jets’ offense with a very simple focus.

“You’ve got to start first with their running game,” Tomlin said. “I think Coach (Aaron) Glenn has been very transparent about their desire to run the football and their commitment to do so, and so that has our attention as we prepare.”

Unlike many coaches around the NFL, Tomlin has a firm understanding of what can make the Jets’ running game difficult to stop this season.

With Fields at the helm, the Steelers are preparing for zone reads and RPOs from a quarterback who is difficult to bring down.

“He’s stronger than most mobile quarterbacks,” Tomlin said of Fields. “That’s a component of his game that I think is unique. He’s a really talented guy physically. He’s not easy to bring down. He’s got a real solid base about him. He’s big. And so, when I think about what might be different, I think about his unique physical skill set. But in terms of schematics, I don’t know the things that they do are going to be uniquely different from others. I think there are some global things that people do in that area.”

Pittsburgh revamped their secondary with the acquisitions of Darius Slay and Jalen Ramsey. Couple their arrivals with Joey Porter Jr., and the Steelers have a defensive unit that is predicated on forcing opponents to run the ball.

There’s a difference when facing a run-first team like the Baltimore Ravens compared to a unit like the Jets, though.

Time will tell if New York’s turn to a run-first approach will help them in 2025. At the very least, Pittsburgh appears more than ready for the Jets’ system on Sunday.